Hyperbranched Polyelectrolyte Copolymers as Novel Candidate Delivery Systems for Bio-Relevant Compounds.

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Hyperbranched polymers offer unique architectures and properties.
• Amphiphilic copolymers with tunable characteristics are crucial for nanomedicine.
• Controlled polymerization techniques enable precise macromolecular design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize novel hyperbranched amphiphilic copolymers using RAFT polymerization.
• To investigate the self-assembly behavior and nanostructure formation in aqueous media.
• To evaluate the potential of these copolymers as nanocarriers for drug and protein delivery.

Main Methods:

• Reversible Addition-Fragmentation chain Transfer (RAFT) polymerization.
• Selective hydrolysis reactions for copolymer modification.
• Physicochemical characterization (SEC, 1H-NMR spectroscopy).
• Nanostructure analysis (Dynamic Light Scattering, fluorescence spectroscopy, zeta potential).

Main Results:

• Successful synthesis of hyperbranched poly(oligoethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate-co-tert-butyl methacrylate-co-methacrylic acid) (H-[P(OEGMA-co-tBMA-co-MAA)]) copolymers.
• Demonstrated amphiphilicity and polyelectrolyte character due to monomer composition.
• Observation of self-assembly into nanoscale multimolecular aggregates with low critical aggregation concentration.
• pH-sensitive behavior and dependence of aggregate size/mass on copolymer composition and solution conditions.
• Successful encapsulation of curcumin (hydrophobic drug) and complexation with lysozyme (cationic protein).

Conclusions:

• The synthesized hyperbranched copolymers exhibit tunable amphiphilicity and pH sensitivity.
• These copolymers effectively self-assemble into nanostructures suitable for encapsulation and complexation.
• The study highlights the potential of these novel materials as versatile nanocarriers for drug and protein delivery applications.